Effect of nutritive additives and sowing dates on growth, yield attributes, and productivity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

A field experiment was conducted during rabi seasons 2018-2019 at RS Masodha Research Farm, Under Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj Ayodhya (U.P.) to assess the nutritive additives and sowing dates on growth, yield attributes and productivity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The experiment was conducted in split plot design which comprised of two different dates of sowing viz. 25th November, 24th December and seven nutrient additives viz. RDF, T1 + FYM @ 5 t ha-1, T1 + mulch @ 6 t ha-1, T1 + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 + mulch @ 6 t ha-1, T4 + Spray of ZnSO4 @0.5%, T4 + Two spray of KCl @0.5%, T5 + Two spray of KCl @0.5%. The study examined the influence of sowing dates and nutrient additives on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) growth and yield. Plant height increased progressively with crop age, peaking between 30 to 90 DAS before slowing toward harvest. Timely sowing (D1) resulted in significantly greater plant height than late sowing. Among nutrient treatments, T7 (T5 + two sprays of KCl @ 0.5%) exhibited the highest plant height, followed closely by T6 (T4 + two sprays of KCl @ 0.5%) and T5 (T4 + ZnSO4 @ 0.5%). Dry matter accumulation followed a similar pattern, increasing with age except at 30 DAS, with T7 outperforming all other treatments. Yield attributes, including spikes per square meter, spike length, grains per spike, and test weight, were significantly influenced by sowing dates and additives, with T7 recording the highest values, closely followed by T6 and T5. Grain yield (38.00 q ha-1), straw yield (54.39 q ha-1), and biomass yield (92.39 q ha-1) were maximized in T7, while the harvest index remained unchanged by sowing dates or treatments. The findings emphasize the benefits of timely sowing and optimized nutrient application in improving barley yield and biomass production.